What oil do you use in your Superhawk?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 406
From: Trussville, Alabama
What oil do you use in your Superhawk?
Not sure if this has been covered in the past, but I was curious...
What oil do you use?
Why?
What drain interval do you run?
For me:
I use Shell Rotella 15W40 (diesel rated oil) in all my bikes.
It is a very good oil with a very robust detergent package.
It has no friction modifiers so it causes no problems with clutch slip.
It is inexpensive and readily available.
I usually change it once per year - end of winter, just before riding season really gets going.
This works out to about 3000 miles on each change.
My bike stays in my garage all the time so heating/cooling cycles possibly leading to condensation inside the engine is not a problem.
Thanks,
Brian A
What oil do you use?
Why?
What drain interval do you run?
For me:
I use Shell Rotella 15W40 (diesel rated oil) in all my bikes.
It is a very good oil with a very robust detergent package.
It has no friction modifiers so it causes no problems with clutch slip.
It is inexpensive and readily available.
I usually change it once per year - end of winter, just before riding season really gets going.
This works out to about 3000 miles on each change.
My bike stays in my garage all the time so heating/cooling cycles possibly leading to condensation inside the engine is not a problem.
Thanks,
Brian A
Moderator
MotoGP
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,553
From: South Texas
Re: What oil do you use in your Superhawk?
Mobil One Red Cap (15-50W) for me but they just recently changed their line up so it may be another color cap now. Any decent dino or synthetic NON-ENGERGY CONSERVING oil changed regularly is the key.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 406
From: Trussville, Alabama
Re: What oil do you use in your Superhawk?
For you guys using standard auto oil, do you ever have problems with clutch slip? A few years back I tried regular automotive oil and had clutch slip in 3 different bikes.
I switched to the Rotella (I don't run the synthetic, just regular Rotella) and no more clutch slip, ever. And I have certainly run the bikes hard enough to create clutch slip if it was going to occur.
From all my reading, auto oils contain friction modifiers that can cause problems for wet clutches.
Thanks,
Brian A
edit: Superbling - you might have nailed it. I don't think the NON energy conserving oils contain friction modifiers.
I switched to the Rotella (I don't run the synthetic, just regular Rotella) and no more clutch slip, ever. And I have certainly run the bikes hard enough to create clutch slip if it was going to occur.
From all my reading, auto oils contain friction modifiers that can cause problems for wet clutches.
Thanks,
Brian A
edit: Superbling - you might have nailed it. I don't think the NON energy conserving oils contain friction modifiers.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 295
From: Seattle
Re: What oil do you use in your Superhawk?
I use Royal Purple Motorcycle Oil.
It's a little more but I think it's worth it. I have 45k plus very abusive miles on my hawk and she is still kickin ***.
It's a little more but I think it's worth it. I have 45k plus very abusive miles on my hawk and she is still kickin ***.
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 758
From: Laurel, MD
Re: What oil do you use in your Superhawk?
For you guys using standard auto oil, do you ever have problems with clutch slip? A few years back I tried regular automotive oil and had clutch slip in 3 different bikes.
I switched to the Rotella (I don't run the synthetic, just regular Rotella) and no more clutch slip, ever. And I have certainly run the bikes hard enough to create clutch slip if it was going to occur.
From all my reading, auto oils contain friction modifiers that can cause problems for wet clutches.
Thanks,
Brian A
edit: Superbling - you might have nailed it. I don't think the NON energy conserving oils contain friction modifiers.
I switched to the Rotella (I don't run the synthetic, just regular Rotella) and no more clutch slip, ever. And I have certainly run the bikes hard enough to create clutch slip if it was going to occur.
From all my reading, auto oils contain friction modifiers that can cause problems for wet clutches.
Thanks,
Brian A
edit: Superbling - you might have nailed it. I don't think the NON energy conserving oils contain friction modifiers.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 406
From: Trussville, Alabama
Re: What oil do you use in your Superhawk?
Actually no clutch dumping at all.
All occurances of clutch slip occured during aggressive roll on throttle applications.
1st or 2nd gear (maybe occasionally 3rd).
I didn't have to whack the throttle wide open all at once. Just roll on the throttle as the power built. When the engines got to their peak power area in the RPM range, the clutch would slip.
It was "spirited riding" to be sure, but not abusive.
In each bike the problem disappeared when I replaced the oil with Rotella diesel oil.
By the way, my Superhawk was not one of the bikes that had clutch slip. I have only used Rotella in it since I got it 2 years ago.
All occurances of clutch slip occured during aggressive roll on throttle applications.
1st or 2nd gear (maybe occasionally 3rd).
I didn't have to whack the throttle wide open all at once. Just roll on the throttle as the power built. When the engines got to their peak power area in the RPM range, the clutch would slip.
It was "spirited riding" to be sure, but not abusive.
In each bike the problem disappeared when I replaced the oil with Rotella diesel oil.
By the way, my Superhawk was not one of the bikes that had clutch slip. I have only used Rotella in it since I got it 2 years ago.
Senior Member
Back Marker
Back Marker
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 189
From: Central Pennsylvania
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 758
From: Laurel, MD
Re: What oil do you use in your Superhawk?
Actually no clutch dumping at all.
All occurances of clutch slip occured during aggressive roll on throttle applications.
1st or 2nd gear (maybe occasionally 3rd).
I didn't have to whack the throttle wide open all at once. Just roll on the throttle as the power built. When the engines got to their peak power area in the RPM range, the clutch would slip.
It was "spirited riding" to be sure, but not abusive.
In each bike the problem disappeared when I replaced the oil with Rotella diesel oil.
By the way, my Superhawk was not one of the bikes that had clutch slip. I have only used Rotella in it since I got it 2 years ago.
All occurances of clutch slip occured during aggressive roll on throttle applications.
1st or 2nd gear (maybe occasionally 3rd).
I didn't have to whack the throttle wide open all at once. Just roll on the throttle as the power built. When the engines got to their peak power area in the RPM range, the clutch would slip.
It was "spirited riding" to be sure, but not abusive.
In each bike the problem disappeared when I replaced the oil with Rotella diesel oil.
By the way, my Superhawk was not one of the bikes that had clutch slip. I have only used Rotella in it since I got it 2 years ago.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 406
From: Trussville, Alabama
Re: What oil do you use in your Superhawk?
I can't say for certain, and I wish I could remember.
I want to guess it was Chevron or Havoline 20W50.
Maybe it was 10W30? I just don't remember.
I think the owners manuals said 10W30 was OK but I'm not sure I would have put 10W30 in.
Sorry I can't remember.
Since switching to he Rotella, I just never thought much more about it.
I went for ride this afternoon on my CBR1000F (one that had slipped the clutch with the old oil.)
Just to check, I did a few hard pulls in 2nd and 3rd up to near red line.
Not a bit of clutch slip.
Thanks.
Brian
I want to guess it was Chevron or Havoline 20W50.
Maybe it was 10W30? I just don't remember.
I think the owners manuals said 10W30 was OK but I'm not sure I would have put 10W30 in.
Sorry I can't remember.
Since switching to he Rotella, I just never thought much more about it.
I went for ride this afternoon on my CBR1000F (one that had slipped the clutch with the old oil.)
Just to check, I did a few hard pulls in 2nd and 3rd up to near red line.
Not a bit of clutch slip.
Thanks.
Brian
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